Not on the economy, not because you have too many competitors, not because you have clients that only look for a cheap price.

3 questions:

Are you willing to do things differently?

Are you willing to invest in improving your business knowledge?

Are you afraid of facing the real truth and admit you may have the wrong recipe?

The first days of a New Year often bring us to reflect on the years past and hopefully on brighter days to come. Often, FEAR sets in because we aren’t certain if the latest “NEW THING” will bring us the anticipated results.

Let me be blunt here: You will never be certain whether you succeed or fail.

One thing is certain as Confucius says: “One that tries nothing is sure to get it"

So, stop for one minute and ask yourself, what is my bigge

st pain in running my business? Be honest!

If it’s your lack of technical knowledge, go learn it with the best teacher.

If it’s the equipment that is outdated or not good enough, get advice from colleagues on the best way to upgrade.

But if it’s relates to your business skills that need polishing, what are you going to do? Ignore it one more year and hope for the better. Napoleon Hill says: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results.

Maybe it’s time for you to make serious money with your photography. The decision is yours.

Build VALUE into your business, registerfor this proven option that has been taught for the last 16 years all across Canada, the US and in Europe.

Take the time to reflect and move to build your own future.

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Content

FACT: Today's consumer will shop around before making a decision to trust you in being their photographer ? If you think it is only a question of how much you charge, you have a bigger problem!

Here’s a crazy idea…

If you want to connect truly with a potential customer, this person has to believe your STORY is better than your competition's. Then and only then will you be able to establish a relationship that will open the door to TRUST!

If you had the System to:

Get new clients that understand your VALUE,

Price your work to bring you enough money to make a good living,

Determine your true VALUE,

Sell your work for the right kind of money,

Not spend so many hours working and get more time with your family.

Would you invest in it?

WHY?

Because you want to build something significant for yourself and your family while earning a decent living.

Because you deserve the rewards associated with your creative talent.

Because you want to have qualified clients who will recognize your VALUE and pay for it.

HOW?

Join a small group of focused on success professional photographers. This 3 day event will definitely answer all the questions you have been searching for. The small investment will be back in your pocket many times over within a few weeks even before you finish paying for it.

Ontario:

Join me March 3rd, 4th and 5th, 2017 for a 3-day full business workshop.

7 Reasons WHY this workshop is for you:

Together we will:

Design the perfect business model to reach the next level.

Cut through the issues of pricing and get respect for your talent.

Find the perfect strategies to qualify and keep clients for a lifetime.

Reduce the feeling that there is not enough time to do it all.

Confidently answer any sales objections of an increasingly demanding clientele.

Discover the precise wording to describe, Who you are, What you do.

Use the right words to promote your VALUE.

"This was one of the most amazing courses I've taken in any subject. I had so many questions coming on and I got not only the answers but a full framework from which to answer myself."

Marnie Sohn, Toronto ON

Technicare Imaging, a long-term supporter of the Photocoach brand, is one of the sponsors of this unique event.

Lodging is at your own expense. We have negotiated special rates for workshop participants.

Do not book your room until we notify you.

We cover all meals and breaks.

Your investment

The cost of a photographer's business mistakes could easily make up the total investment in this workshop. Earn back your investment even before the payments are done.

“Andre, This course was priceless! More than just light bulbs turned on, entire cities lit up! Information was relevant, well presented and of course, most of all, it was inspiring. I have a plan and all the tools I need to move forward.”

Leighton Matthews, West Vancouver, B.C.

2 options:

Option #1:

Early bird registration before February 10th, 2017:Register for only $397. plus sales tax. Plus make one payment of $300.plus sales tax in each of the 3 following months. That's it!

BONUS: Get two hours of one on one coaching. (Value $494.)

After February 10th 2017, the coaching is no longer included!

Total Value of $1791. plus sales tax.

SPECIAL OFFER:Pay only$1297.* plus sales tax.This is a saving of $494.

Maurice, my marketing mentor, who was instrumental in helping me create the PhotoCoach System, once told me that selling photography was about the same and as easy as selling anything else. My reaction was quick: “Not as easy as you may think, Maurice!”

After about 8 months of hard work and research he finally admitted that selling photography is fraught with difficulty and holds certain risks for the client!

Why? Because the client can’t really see what he will have as a finished product. He must base his choice on the past projects of the photographer; on our capacity to instill confidence that we will be able to give him satisfaction and on what level of trust he will give us.

We are a service industry and by definition the value of our service becomes reality once the creative process takes place.

Therefore, it is an industry based on trust.

1. Have a well established business system: When a potential client asks for a service, he wants to entrust his project to a person who has a structured plan, who is confident in his/her abilities and is able to instill that confidence in a client.

What to DO: Be sure that your message is clear and transparent. Proceed with a well structured plan so that the client feels a high level of confidence. Remember how it felt the last time you had a great buying experience, how it was a pleasure to buy in that circumstance.

2. Create a true connection with your clients: I know that we are in an age of communication via electronic media. But now, we have gathered enough knowledge to know that electronic media is not enough especially when you want to sell a service that is as personal as photography is.

What to DO: Make it easy and invite your prospective clients to communicate with you so that you have the chance to affirm the value of your services according the specific needs of their project. Each client has different expectations and your function as the creator of images is to reassure them that you have correctly understood their needs and that you are the ideal person to fulfill them. The telephone still remains a great tool of communication and connection if you can’t meet in person.

3. Offer a Satisfaction Guaranty. When you shop, are you positively influenced by a guaranty of satisfaction for that object or service? Of course! Your clients have that same feeling.

What to DO: Propose a “Satisfaction Guaranteed” offer that will help convince your client that he can place his trust in you; that you have confidence in your own capabilities of delivering excellent service. If you are not comfortable in the principle of the guaranty and you fear that people will take advantage; you may not yet have mastered your technique, your message or your business model. Reevaluate the whole concept.

4. Accompany Your Client Through Each Step: One thing that can reassure a client is without a doubt, the way in which you will tell him how the project will be realized so that he can almost see the evolution of it in his mind. This means letting him know the steps that you will take and what you will do for him. Be very precise in your quest for information and in your expectations on what he must furnish so that you can properly accomplish your task.

What to DO: Document each step so that your prospective client knows exactly what services and what final product he will be getting. Using printed materials is another way of delivering information and reassuring clients. You can place part of that information on your web site without adding too much detail otherwise the client may not make the effort to call or meet with you. You could also be helping your competitors a bit too much if you place too much info online.

5. Simplify: Put yourself in their shoes. Would you buy your services as they are formulated right now? These clients are worried, they have tight schedules, stress and face multitudes of offers every day. Often, they don’t really know exactly what they need as the best solution to their problems.

What to DO: Reevaluate your business model in order to simplify each step from information gathering to production and delivery. Take a look at your product/services list and see which ones are most visible and enduring. Simplify the menu of your products and pricing. Test your new approach with loyal clients and also with people you don’t know.

As a final word, I can wrap up this article in one word: Education.

Andre Amyot, also know as PhotoCoach, offers his business coaching and teaching services to professional photographers since 2000. For 25 years he was owner of a very profitable Commercial Photography Studio on the outskirts of Montreal which, generated sales of over 1.8 million$ in it’s prime years. He now offers workshops on the BUSINESS of photography in Canada, the USA and in Europe. His PhotoCoach System is now in the hands of over 1200 photographers of all specialities all over the world.

As it ever occurred, receiving a phone call from a client’s husband following a nice order and he is not happy about his wife purchases? Obviously, he was not present during the viewing of the images of his family.

The Situation:It is more common these days to have some of our clients not understand the true value of photographs and the work creating them. It is therefore our duty to educate them on the importance of their images and what they bring to their family heritage.Unfortunately, some people are aggressive in their comments and behavior. Therefor, finding a resolution becomes more difficult.

5 steps how to avoid or diminish these episodes

Before going any further, this message is for photographers whose goals is not to be the cheapest deal in town. If your objective is to demonstrate value, elevate the perception of quality, then keep reading.

Step 1:From the very first contact, you have to explain your creative process once you have determined “WHY” this client wants these images. It is not during the unveiling of the images that is time to sell the value and share your process and or prices. It’s too late then. You will most likely raise suspicions as the client may imply that he did not get the right information to make the proper decision.

Step 2: Personalize each project according to the client’s needs while keeping it simple. Too many choices create confusion and a small order is often the result. You have to address the digital files issue as well. What is your policy on digital files?

Step 3:Once the project is well defined, write a proposal with all the details you have discussed including sizes, prices and special arrangements. Do not give away your full price list that includes all your services. This will only confuse the client eve more. Stick to the matter at hand.

Step 4:For the viewing session of the images, insist on having both decision makers on site. If one or the other cannot make it, suggest another date. Your justification: “This step is very important because you will both live special moments with these images for years to come, therefore the choice has to be made by both parties.”

This is not negotiable. And it must be said during the first meeting with the client. Not after the session is done.

Step 5: Once the session is done, you set the date for the viewing and go over the information once again as well as the products available. If there has been any modifications in the original concept, it is then that you bring it to their attention. They must accept the changes.

Set up:If you see there is a possibility of a misunderstanding, here what you can say to them. At the beginning make sure you let the client voice his concerns, then move with these words:

“Sir, I understand your request. Can I share a few details with you?Thank you.

The large majority of my clients come to me for my creative talents and all have profound feelings for their loved ones.

They all have a special project in mind that involves getting good quality photography; a style that they cannot perform themselves.

My job is to transform their dreams into a physical reality in the form of printed images following a set business model that is appreciated by all or else I would not have been in business for so long.

Do I make money with my talents? Absolutely and it is necessary. It is more than a job, it is a way for me to feed my family. It is a mission.

Whatever you do to provide for your family, I am certain you do it with pride and honour.This is where we share the same goals.

If you decide to cancel or modify the order according to my business model, I am fine with this. My goal is to serve my clients the best way I can.

This is the reason why I cannot comply totally to your request.”

It is at this moment when you go quiet. Do not say another word until the other person speaks first.

B2B photographers: You can modify this message to suit the situation.

Trust yourself and be ready to change, or even cancel the order. You will notice that he most aggressive client will eventually change the tone of the conversation.

Andre Amyot, otherwise known as the PhotoCoach. Andre offers his training and coaching services to professional photographers since the year 2000. Owner of one of the largest commercial studios in Quebec, Canada for 25 years, his business generated more than $1,8 millions of sales. His seminars and workshops are available in Canada, USA and Europe. His PhotoCoach System has been taught to over 1200 photographers of all specialities in the last 10 years.

Many professions are on dead set against this modern phenomenon that is totally upsetting the core of many industries.

The purpose of this article isn’t to debate the basic principal of this type of business but simply to say that the profession of photography has been under siege from this new model for some time now. As far as I am concerned, the results are less than desirable!

Let me explain what I mean: The democratization of photography since the arrival of the digital medium has resulted in a great many people imagining that making money through commercializing their photography is easy. I admit that, yes, it does seem that way at first but once the process is started and the “client” interaction is experienced, many photographers are now wondering if it was all worth it!

Here are some of the consequences that have surfaced in the last few years:

1. The level of value accorded to professional photography has greatly fallen due to the lack of technical and business know-how of the people involved.

2. Clients are confused by all the offers presented particularly on the internet. Which means that there are many more unsatisfied customers every day.

3. Because of the multitude of prices proposed that are unrealistic for the profession; the average salary (when there is one) is below that of a waiter in a fast food restaurant. The wages of an average photographer is below the poverty line in many countries.

4. In spite of that, there are many people who “wishing to live their passion”, jump into this business without having any idea of how to run a business and only a very basic knowledge of photography itself.

That is today’s reality, as much as we hate to admit it!

Six Ways of Turning Negative Effects into Positive, Durable Ones.

1. Before jumping into the photography profession and risking money, family life, etc; it is essential to know the basic techniques of photography not just by reading the instruction booklet or taking a 3 hours photo course at a camera shop.

2. Make a business plan just like any other business do, so that you can better target your markets and know if the work you perform will be popular enough to be able to make a living at a decent wage and not a mere pittance where you are unable to make ends meet. Too many photographers rely on their spouse to cover their lack of financial returns.

3. Research the style of photography or signature that you will introduce to this target market because the offers far outweigh the demand and competition is extremely strong.

4. Learn the basics of sales and service. It is the first line of defence of any business. As soon as a client senses that you are unsure of your worth and competence, you are condemned to endure the torture of extreme negotiation since the client does NOT see the value that you offer.

5. Precisely calculate the financial aspects including the time involved in learning and practicing this profession, the investment in equipment which will need to be regularly updated and most of all, the salary to be made and the quality of life for you and your family.

6. These steps should help you to create a price list which will be in accordance with your financial needs and the responsibilities you incur as an entrepreneur.

I know that these recommendations can go against the grain of your passion just because they seem too “commercial”. But my 45 years of experience in this ever changing industry has allowed me to realize that the photographers who have done the things listed above are successful and are able to live well from the chosen profession they love; one that is a creative activity allowing you to bring value to the lives of your clients as well as your own.

This is really the key to success.

Andre Amyot

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